


Boat Rides and Cake

by thatphannie_person233



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-20
Updated: 2020-12-20
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:14:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28198962
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatphannie_person233/pseuds/thatphannie_person233
Summary: Dan and Phil meet through a cake shop and take a boat ride. A short getting together fic :)
Relationships: Dan Howell/Phil Lester
Comments: 4
Kudos: 10
Collections: Phandom Holiday Gift Exchange 2020





	Boat Rides and Cake

**Author's Note:**

  * For [simonlikesdnp](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=simonlikesdnp).



> for @simonlikesdnp on tumblr! :) for the phandom holiday gift exchange 2020!

He tilted his hat down and away from the sun, squinting slightly. Dan walked out onto the path, boots crunching on the gravel as he looked around at the early morning. They were his nice boots, the ones with moons on the side and a slight heel. He trudged over to the little garden he was growing and flicked his eyes over the more basic flowers, not caring about them as much as the little black bulbs that were meant to be blooming soon.

“Dan!” 

Dan turned around. Stood at the wooden door of the shop was a short older person holding a steaming baking tray in both hands. They had dark skin and their hair was held back by a bandana which was tied in a neat knot on the top of their head.

“I burnt this pie a little, you want some?”

Dan grinned leaving the black flowers behind him, forgotten. “Um, always? You know I’d never turn down a good pie, Candace.” 

Candace laughed and nodded simply, placing their hand on his back to lead him inside. 

Dan continued through the shop and sat down in the back room at a small scrubbed table, his legs just a bit too long for the seat. Candace placed the pie tray on the table in front of him with a fork before turning around to face the counter. 

“We have a customer coming in later,” Candace said.

Dan turned away from the pie. “What’s that?”

“Phil Lester? Does he work down the road? Eh, I can’t remember, but he’s a very sweet boy. He’s been in the shop a few times over the years,” It didn’t ring a bell for Dan, but he made a sound of recognition so he could start eating.

Dan looked around the room, mouth full, he and Candace dropping into a comfortable silence, while his mind was filled with images of mysterious men picking up cakes from local stores. He settled himself in the slightly uncomfortable wooden chair to finish some food.

Phil Lester was not mysterious. He was tall and didn’t seem to have much control over his own limbs, but he had a wide smile and nice eyes. He hunched a little as he walked in, trying not to hit his head on the doorway, and then corrected his posture quickly. 

He met Dan’s eyes and smiled nervously, “Uh- Hello! I’m Phil. Wait you know that-” He passed a hand through his dark hair.

Dan walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder, leading him to take a seat in one of the few chairs in the shop. 

Phil’s face was familiar, but it had matured a little, and the fringe that was once plastered to his forehead was now pushed back into a neat quiff. His shoulders were a bit broader, and he looked better. Like he had been taking care of himself more.

Phil smiled gratefully and relaxed a little. Dan walked over to the main countertop across the small room to get the order, shooting him a reassuring glance.

Dan busied himself with wrapping the cake box. “We’re not very busy, so I can make you a coffee if you want?” 

“Yeah, sure! I like a lot of sugar, though.” 

Dan nodded and moved over to the cupboard, taking two mugs and slightly shit instant coffee from the top shelf. He had to stop himself from glancing over his shoulder to take Phil in. He had faint circles under his eyes, but his face was soft and amused. He was fiddling with the napkin that had previously been folded neatly, and his legs were a bit tangled under the table.

“One sweet coffee for Mr. Phil Lester,” Dan said cheerfully, placing the coffee mug and cake box in front of Phil. He gestured at the seat next to him. “Can I?”

“Go for it.” Phil shifted almost involuntarily to make space at the small circular table for the two of them, their feet bumping together.

Dan took a sip from his mug before saying, “So what’s the cake for? If you don’t mind me asking.” 

“No, no it’s okay. Well, I was going to a party, but it was cancelled. I still wanted the cake, so I’ll probably save it for a while until it gets too old.” He shuffled in his seat looking embarrassed, and Dan let out a laugh before smiling wide.

“I can relate. If my coworker burns any of the pies I just end up eating the not bad parts.” Phil laughed and gave him a strange look and Dan put his hands up. “A pie is a pie, how am I meant to turn that down?”

Phil laughed too and absent-mindedly clutched the box close to his chest. Dan looked down at his hands, muddy from the garden work, and then at Phil’s, pale with long fingers and neatly filed nails. Each nail was painted a light blue that matched his eyes.

They chatted for a while, eventually opening the cake and cutting a slice or two each before another man walked in, cutting Phil off from his anecdote about some strange family member. 

The man looked at Dan and grinned, giving Phil a polite smile too. 

Phil got up from his chair abruptly. “I- I should be leaving.” 

Dan got up too. “No, wait a second, let me give you my number.”

He scrambled to get a piece of paper from his pockets to give to Phil and grabbed a pen from on the counter. Phil stood stock still, hand still on the back of his chair, eyes locked on Dan in bewilderment. Dan held out the folded bit of paper out for Phil to take.

“Here. I mean you don’t have to text me or anything, just to- it’s just to have.”

“Oh. Right.” Phil smiled. “Thank you.” He put the paper in his pocket, and headed for the door. Once he had left, the man, who had been standing by the counter awkwardly, went to say something, but Dan cut him off. 

“Not. A. Word. I know what you’re gonna say, and I’m already saying drop it, PJ.”

“Oh c’mon, Dan, I wasn’t going to say anything. But he’s sweet.”

Dan made a noise that was somewhere between a laugh and a sigh before changing the topic. “What are you here for anyway?” PJ grinned and shrugged his backpack off onto the table before sitting down.

“I just came by to see if Candace burnt any pie.”

Dan rolled his eyes. “I swear it would be less effort if you just bought a pie instead of coming by every day!”

“You ate it?”

“Yep.”

PJ laughed and stood up, patting Dan on the shoulder. “See ya then.” He walked towards the door and paused. “And tell your cute friend I said hi.”

-

A week or two had passed and Dan was sitting, waiting for Phil to show up. They had been chatting for a while over phone calls and late night texts, bonding over Mario Kart and cake. Dan’s phone beeped, and he looked down at the too-bright screen.

philly  
[06:12p.m] I’m running a bit late!! I’ll be there soon :) 

Dan grinned, texted back a thumbs-up emoji and clicked his phone off, leaning back in his chair. He was wearing his favourite purple stripy top with old overalls that had patches on the knees and little bits of embroidery Candace had done.

The bell on the door jingled, and Dan’s eyes flicked upwards. Phil smiled at him and sat down, nudging the other man’s foot with his own. “I like your overalls. They’re cute.” 

Dan’s cheeks turned red. “Thanks.”

“So what’re we doing today, Danny.”

“Well Philly, I have a plan, but, uh, I can’t tell you until we get there.”

Phil ‘oohed,’ and Dan said, “It’s a surprise but I think you’ll like it.” 

“Well, I trust you. Unless it’s anything sport related, you know I can only do five minutes of exercise.”

Dan laughed and stood up, picking up his oversized jacket and shrugging it on. Phil followed him out the door and into the little garden.

The sky was a misty grey, and there was light wind that made it feel colder than it was, turning Dan’s nose and cheeks pink. It was unnaturally chilly for spring, and Phil made a little ‘brrr’ sound that made Dan giggle.

“Off we go then?” 

“Yep! We need to take the bus.”

They walked next to each other, shoulders bumping gently, and when they sat on the empty Number 9 they left little space between them.

“Are you sure you can’t tell me where we’re going?”

“No! It’ll ruin it,” Dan said matter of factly.

“Oh alright, but I hope there’s food. I’m hungry.”

“Phil, you’re always hungry.”

“I pretend I do not see it.”

They laughed, and Phil took Dan’s hand, giving it a little squeeze and making Dan grin. When they got to the last bus stop, Phil grinned, and Dan led him down the small road, still holding hands and making stupid jokes.

-

“Um, what is it?”

What greeted them was a lake, a box of life vests, and a beaming PJ.

“Look over there.” Dan pointed to one side of the lake at a small boat, painted bright blue. 

“Oh no, Dan,” Phil replied, but he was trying not to smile. He tilted his head up to look at the grey sky. “Well this is how I die, I guess,”

Dan hit Phil’s arm jokingly. “No!! I promise it’s safe.”

“If you say so…”

PJ walked over to them, holding two life vests and a large oar. 

“Here you go, you two. I’m just in charge of dropping these off with you. I’ll be over there in the rental shop if either of you drown.” PJ saw Phil’s eyes widen and added, “I’m kidding, I’m kidding! Dan has been in that boat a billion times before.”

Dan felt Phil’s grip loosen on his hand. PJ waved them off, and they put on the puffy, slightly uncomfortable life vests. They headed over to the boat, where it was bobbing up and down, tied neatly to a small fence.

“Well, here we go,” Dan said, untying the rope.

-

About an hour later, Dan was sitting across from Phil, arms sore from rowing and a smile on his face. They had been talking for a while now, going in circles around the lake, and it was starting to get dark.

“Should we start heading back?” Phil asked.

“Yeah I think so. At night the wind picks up a bit, and that’s all we need.”

Dan started to row back to the bank, but he felt a hand on his wrist stopping him.

“This was really fun today, you know?”

“Yeah. It was,” Dan said, smiling a little. He carefully got up, so he could sit next to Phil without tipping the boat over. He leaned on Phil’s shoulder and melted into him, feeling Phil’s arm wrap around him.


End file.
